Conventional folding knives are ubiquitous and essential tools that have been used for many, many years and which are used for countless purposes. Folding knives come in hundreds of different configurations, but broadly generalized, have handles that are defined by opposed sidewalls or handle halves that are attached together with a space between the opposed sidewalls for receiving the blade when the blade is in the closed position—the blade receiving groove is located in the space between the sidewalls. The blade is rotatably attached to the two handle halves with a pivot shaft that extends through a tang portion of the blade. As the blade rotates between closed and open, open and closed, the blade rotates about the pivot shaft. A variety of spacers and screws are used to attach the handle halves together. Folding knives are usually assembled by the manufacturer—the parts are interconnected with tools that fit the screws and other fasteners.
Folding knives often require disassembly in order to clean the parts or to repair damaged parts. But with most folding knives, disassembly requires tools that fit the various screws and the like that connect all of the parts. This can be difficult enough in a shop environment where proper tools are on hand. But disassembly may be required in the field where the work is much more difficult even where tools are available. And given that some folding knives can incorporate rather complicated internal structural features, disassembly can be a difficult task and reassembly even more so.
In addition, in some instances a user will want to replace one component with a different component that has a different purpose. One example would be replacing a drop point blade with a skinning blade. Another example is replacing a completely worn blade with a fresh, sharp blade. These tasks can be difficult to accomplish with proper tools in any setting.
Furthermore, knife enthusiasts often find that the fasteners that are conventionally used to interconnect the handle halves are unattractive and detract from the overall aesthetic of the tool.
There is a need therefore for a folding knife that is configured to make assembly and disassembly of the knife components relatively easier. The present invention defines such a knife. The knife components may be completely assembled and disassembled without tools and the knife components are stably interconnected without conventional screws and similar fasteners that require tools to manipulate.